General: Setting up a project to breed Corydoras paleatus. Just picked up the main tank today for free, a 15 gallon (24" x 12" x 12"). The setup is going to be a baker's rack with the 15 gallon on the main stand part and a 2 gallon tank on the upper part of the rack as a temporary fry growout.
Tank Details: The details for the 15 gallon will be as follows. Substrate will be around a 1" deep layer of natural sand collected from my local creek for the Corys to dig in. The decor will be a sponge filter, some type of stone cave, and either java moss or a yarn mop to hopefully school up some of the eggs. Filtration will be solely a sponge filter with a 30 gallon rating that's currently in my 75 gallon to build up plenty of bacteria so I can instantly cycle the new 15 gallon. Lighting is whatever came with the hood (probably T5 or T8) and I haven't yet determined how long they will be on for. Water temperature will be room temperature (64-74 F) since C. paleatus like cool water and pH will be 7.0-7.4. Water change schedule hasn't been made yet but I'll adjust it to whatever needed to get nitrates under 20 ppm at all times and preferably under 10 ppm.
Breeding Group: I will be obtaining a group of either 5 or 6 Corydoras paleatus next week or in two weeks. If I get five fish I'll get 2 females and 3 males, if I get six fish I'll get 2 females and 4 males. All fish that I will be getting will be adults and I'll begin conditioning them to breed as soon as I get them.
Breeding: To get the group to begin breeding I'm going to feed fatty foods for a while such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, blackworms, and mysis shrimp. I'll also do 25% water changes up to as often as every day and the replacement water will be approximately 10 degrees colder than the tank water to simulate the coming if the rainy season which is when Corys breed in the wild. I plan on breeding the group about once every month but that's definitely a variable that will change with time.
Fry Care: Once the fertilized eggs have been layed on a surface or in the mop I'll be providing, I'll either remove the mop or use a yarn mop to carefully scrape the eggs off of the surface they were laid on. After the eggs have been removed from the parent tank I'll put them eggs into an odd dimension 2 gallon (stays cycled via snail waste when their are no fry to put in the tank) on a rack above the parents tank. The 2 gallon will be very bare and include only the mop and an air stone and possibly a thin layer of seeded gravel. The fry will not be fed for the first 2-3 days as they absorb all the nutrients in their yolk sac. After the yolk sac has been absorbed they'll be started on a diet of microworms and soon after baby brine shrimp until they're of size to eat finely crushed flake food. They will be fed 3-5 times daily. Water in the fry tank will be tested 1-2 times daily and I'll be doing 25% daily changes no it. Once the fry get to large for the 2 gallon they'll either go into the main tank with the parents if they're to big to be eaten or sold off if they're to big for the 2 gallon but small enough to be eaten by the parents.
Selling The Fry: I have already talked to various local fish stores about buying fry and the majority of them will be buying fry off of me. I'll be sure to list those stores when they have fry incase anybody on the forum in the area (Southwest PA) is interested in getting any. I also plan as of now on shipping fry to anyone here who is interested in buying them. I'll be sure to post an update once I have fry available for those interested.
Really excited to finally start breeding Corydoras
! Expect regular updates on the tank, breeding group, fry, and fry availability.
Tank holding water on my deck:
Corydoras paleatus (not my photo):
Tank Details: The details for the 15 gallon will be as follows. Substrate will be around a 1" deep layer of natural sand collected from my local creek for the Corys to dig in. The decor will be a sponge filter, some type of stone cave, and either java moss or a yarn mop to hopefully school up some of the eggs. Filtration will be solely a sponge filter with a 30 gallon rating that's currently in my 75 gallon to build up plenty of bacteria so I can instantly cycle the new 15 gallon. Lighting is whatever came with the hood (probably T5 or T8) and I haven't yet determined how long they will be on for. Water temperature will be room temperature (64-74 F) since C. paleatus like cool water and pH will be 7.0-7.4. Water change schedule hasn't been made yet but I'll adjust it to whatever needed to get nitrates under 20 ppm at all times and preferably under 10 ppm.
Breeding Group: I will be obtaining a group of either 5 or 6 Corydoras paleatus next week or in two weeks. If I get five fish I'll get 2 females and 3 males, if I get six fish I'll get 2 females and 4 males. All fish that I will be getting will be adults and I'll begin conditioning them to breed as soon as I get them.
Breeding: To get the group to begin breeding I'm going to feed fatty foods for a while such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, blackworms, and mysis shrimp. I'll also do 25% water changes up to as often as every day and the replacement water will be approximately 10 degrees colder than the tank water to simulate the coming if the rainy season which is when Corys breed in the wild. I plan on breeding the group about once every month but that's definitely a variable that will change with time.
Fry Care: Once the fertilized eggs have been layed on a surface or in the mop I'll be providing, I'll either remove the mop or use a yarn mop to carefully scrape the eggs off of the surface they were laid on. After the eggs have been removed from the parent tank I'll put them eggs into an odd dimension 2 gallon (stays cycled via snail waste when their are no fry to put in the tank) on a rack above the parents tank. The 2 gallon will be very bare and include only the mop and an air stone and possibly a thin layer of seeded gravel. The fry will not be fed for the first 2-3 days as they absorb all the nutrients in their yolk sac. After the yolk sac has been absorbed they'll be started on a diet of microworms and soon after baby brine shrimp until they're of size to eat finely crushed flake food. They will be fed 3-5 times daily. Water in the fry tank will be tested 1-2 times daily and I'll be doing 25% daily changes no it. Once the fry get to large for the 2 gallon they'll either go into the main tank with the parents if they're to big to be eaten or sold off if they're to big for the 2 gallon but small enough to be eaten by the parents.
Selling The Fry: I have already talked to various local fish stores about buying fry and the majority of them will be buying fry off of me. I'll be sure to list those stores when they have fry incase anybody on the forum in the area (Southwest PA) is interested in getting any. I also plan as of now on shipping fry to anyone here who is interested in buying them. I'll be sure to post an update once I have fry available for those interested.
Really excited to finally start breeding Corydoras
! Expect regular updates on the tank, breeding group, fry, and fry availability.Tank holding water on my deck:
Corydoras paleatus (not my photo):
